In the Company of Death
by Darkdreamerfiction
Summary: Emma and her younger sister Janine have been on their own for a long time, but when Daryl Dixon runs into them while hunting, things heat quickly. The apocalypse isn't the only thing on his mind anymore. Daryl/OC
1. The hunter

**AUTHORS NOTE: Thank you for taking an interest in, "In the company of Death." Please note that this story is a work in progress, and changes may be made in the future, but nothing that would affect the outcome of the story. This first chapter is more of an introduction into Daryl and his role in the camp. Chapter two begins the real plot of the story. Hope you enjoy! **

The moist earth barely shifted beneath his toes as he plodded through the forest. His feet were light, despite his muscular form, enhancing his already acute hunting skills. His eyes scanned the dense trees, intently resting on a deer no more than 50 yards in front of him. He pulled the crossbow from his back and took aim; his breathing steadied as his finger slowly squeezed the trigger. The arrow made its mark and he breathed out, relaxing his tense muscles. He approached his kill, keeping a wary eye on his surroundings. He hauled the doe over his shoulder, and began his trek back towards camp, keeping his bow at the ready. A rustle from nearby peaked his senses; he froze. He surveyed the area for movement, his crossbow ready for action. He slowed his stride, moving carefully through the trees. A low groaning reached his attentive ears; he cursed under his breath. He searched until he spotted movement just ahead. He aimed his bow, the deer making for an awkward stance and harder aiming. The walker shuffled closer; it was apparent it had not yet caught his scent, surprising seeing as how he was soaked in sweat, reeking of human smell. But the wind was uphill, giving him the advantage. The walker shuffled into his site, he poised the bow, breathed and shot. It thudded into a trunk near the walkers head. It howled in rage; its sunken eyes fixed on him and it began a labored run in his direction, dragging its left leg behind. A string of obscenities left his mouth as he reached for another arrow to load into the bow. "Shit!" He dropped the deer and bow as the walker lunged towards his throat, teeth snapping for his warm flesh. He grabbed its cold arms and pushed it away, taking the short window to draw his knife. The walker snarled as it lunged again, this time straight into the blade of his dagger. The knife sunk into its skull with a sickening thud. The walker dropped. Daryl Dixon slumped to the ground, his breathing heavy and adrenaline pumping through his veins. _Stupid Bastard. _He thought as he kicked the walker away from his prized deer. He gathered his crossbow, plucked the arrow from the tree, reloaded, and heaved the deer back onto his shoulders. "Damn thing near cost me our dinner." he mumbled as he made his way back to camp.

Lori was fussing over Carl, again, as Daryl stepped through the edge of the trees into the clearing they had set camp in. _Kid is never gonna make it if she constantly fluffs him; she needs a cold hard slap from reality. _he thought to himself as he trudged toward the pit. Shane was talking to the new guy, Rick, over near the RV; he noticed Daryl, or rather the doe, quickly and cut the conversation short to approach him for his share of the meat. "Nice catch you got there, Daryl." Rick said as he followed Shane. "Damn fine if you ask me." Shane pitched in. "Whatdya say we cut into that and get us some nice venison for dinner, ay Daryl?" Shane always did get on his nerves. "Don't getcher panties in a bunch, ladies. I got this venison covered. There'll be pleanty for every'n." Daryl disappeared into his tent, only to emerge seconds later with a giant hunting knife. He went to work and about an hour later had it cooking over the fire. Ever since Merele was left behind, he didn't really have anyone to talk to, so he usually kept to his own business. When the meat was served, however, everyone decided he was the most prized member or their little group. The attention made him uncomfortable, and when he saw the opportunity, he slipped away and down the hill back into the safety of the trees. "Much rather deal with a walker than those crazies up there." he mumbled to himself as he checked that his knife was clear in its sheath. He wandered for a bit, making sure he kept the camp in sight. The cool night air felt good on his hot skin. Summer had definitely made its appearance the last few days, but the nights grew cooler, and it was welcomed by all. He walked the perimeter of the camp to make sure everything was safe, then made his way back to his tent. He crawled into his ratty sleeping bag and closed his eyes. He drifted into an uneasy sleep.

A noise startled him awake. By instinct, his knife was in his hand, poised and ready. He listened for any movement, watched through the tent for shadows. _Damn._ This walker nonsense was getting into his head. Every little noise was a threat. His muscles were tense and his body ached. *Snap* He heard a branch break near the far side of camp. _Then again, maybe that's why I'm still alive. _He crawled towards the tent opening, trying to be as quiet as possible. He peaked through; nothing. He slipped through the opening and into the night air. It was cool against his bare chest, much welcome against his burning skin. Crouching by his tent, he looked around the camp. All seemed in its place, nothing seemed off. Still, the hairs on the back of his neck were telling him something was watching, waiting. He looked atop the RV where Glenn sat keeping watch. "Psst...Glenn." He tried whispering quietly as not to alert anything in the woods to his position, but loud enough for that dense Chinaman to hear. Glenn cocked his head and peered in his direction. "Daryl? Is that you?" he said louder than bitch on her period. "Shut the hell up, dumbass. You hear anything off?" Daryl whispered as he moved toward him, still in a low crouch. Glenn dropped his voice to a whisper, "No, it's been still and quiet since I took over Dale's watch about an hour ago." Daryl let his muscles relax as he stood to his full height and placed his knife back on his belt. "Must have been a squirrel or somethin I heard then. Keep an eye out though wouldya." As he turned to go back to his tent, something caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. He spun around, trying to make out what was moving towards him. _Walkers._ His eyes widened as he saw three of them lumbering towards the camp. "Shit! Glenn, walkers!" he yelled quietly. He ran low back to his tent and retrieved his crossbow. Glenn was cocking his rifle as Daryl emerged, crossbow at the ready. One of the walkers was close, approaching the camp faster than the other two. Daryl aimed his bow, went through his steps, and let the arrow loose. It sunk deep into the walkers skull, collapsing into a heap as he was loading the next arrow. The other two walkers had seen Glenn and were headed towards him. He had hopped off the RV and drawn his knife. _What the hell? What is he doing? _He whistled to draw the attention of the beasts and let another arrow loose, hitting the farthest walker. Glenn ran towards the last and drove his knife into the things eye. Glenn pulled the dagger free and grimaced at the dark blood staining his hands and shirt. Daryl motioned for him to stay quiet as he inspected the perimeter. When he returned, Glenn was standing atop the RV, scanning the woods through binoculars for any other stragglers. "See anything?" Glenn shook his head and sat down, relaxing back into his chair. "Thanks for the help man." he said graciously. "Fine. Oh, and nice thinking with the dagger. The gunshot woulda attracted more." Daryl said as he ran off to search the perimeter of the camp once more before sinking back into his sleeping bag for yet another sleepless night.


	2. Auburn Mystery

**AUTHORS NOTE: Thank you so much for reading chapter two! I hope you enjoy it! Please note that this story is a work in progress. Changes may be made in the future, but nothing that would affect the outcome of the story. **

Sleep hadn't come since the attack, so he was up when the sun peaked over the trees. He heard the camp begin it's waking routine and decided to leave the tent. Lori was with Carol and Andrea, all three holding washboards and laundry in their hands as they made their way down towards the quarry. They chattered like mice on steroids with each other. Could never figure out what women talked so much about for so long. Shane was talking to Dale about guns, and Rick was with Carl. _These people don't know shit. Don't even realize damn geeks showed up last night. _He slung his crossbow on his back and walked towards the trees. "Daryl! Hold up." Rick was walking towards him. He stopped and waited for the guy to say what he came to say. "Why don't you skip the hunting today? We still have some of the Venison from yesterday. How about hangin around here, keep an eye on things. Glenn told me what happened last night. Looks like we owe you thanks for saving our hides." he said as his hand rested on his gun. "Needta get some arrows carved. Be back when I got some sticks to whittle." Daryl said as he turned back towards the trees. He left Rick standing there, not caring much what the man was thinking. He went farther into the forest than he had to, but he liked being away from the camp. He worked for a couple hours, finding workable sized sticks to craft into arrows. He was just about to head back when something caught his eye. There was a small stream nearby, and he thought he saw someone move. _Better go check it out, I'll be damned if it's another walker. If it aint, what the hell. _He slowly approached the stream, being careful not to let his position be known. He was surprised to see a little girl sitting near the water, washing her hands of what looked like blood. He kept watching, waiting. _She can't be alone, this little girl wouldn't make it by herself. _He thought as he watched her stand and look around. She whistled a little tune and pulled out a bottle of water from a pack she had sitting close by. She took a swig and replaced it, trading it out for some sort of granola bar. Minutes passed as he watched her eat, and finally he decided he had to do something. "Hey lil' girl, don't be afraid. I wont hurtcha." he said as he stepped out from the trees with his hands raised, showing he meant no harm. She froze, her big eyes locked on him. He took a step forward and she cringed, looking scareder than a mouse. "Don't worry, I aint gonna hurtcha. What 're ya doin out here by yourself?" She just kept staring at him with those big eyes, not moving, not saying a word; he wasn't even sure if she was still breathing. He crouched down to her level about 10 yards from her. "Are you alone? Are ya waitin for someone?" He saw her visibly relax, which brought tension to his muscles. Something was wrong. "Stand up." a silken voice said from behind him. _Shit. _He felt the barrel of a gun press against the back of his head. "I said stand up." He rose slowly, his hands raised, being careful not to spook whoever it was into shooting his brains out. "Listen I meant nothin by it, I wasn't gonna hurt her." he breathed. "Who are you? What do you want?" the voice asked. "I was huntin and I saw a little girl. The hell kinda man would I be if I didn't see if she's okay. Lil' girl by herself in the woods? 'Course I seen if she needed help." He said trying to see who stood behind him out of his peripheral vision, failing to see anything but trees, until a woman stepped into his view. She was tall, slim, but in shape. Auburn curly locks fell gracefully past her shoulders, and vibrant green eyes locked with his from under a swoop of bangs. She kept the gun trained at his head, and her eyes remained steely locked on him. "We don't need your help. We've survived this long on our own. Janine, get the rope and bind his hands." She said over her shoulder, not once breaking eye contact with him. The little girl, Janine apparently, dug in the pack, retrieving the rope, and headed towards him. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. I aint lettin no bitch and her crony take me captive." Daryl said eying the little girl as she approached slowly. "Don't you DARE threaten my sister and I." The woman's eyes grew darker as she spoke, but he was not in the mood to be played with. She was standing close enough. He whipped his arms down, grabbing her wrist. She cried out as he twisted, her hand releasing the gun, letting it fall into his free one. He spun her around and in the blink of an eye he had her gun aimed at the girl, and his arm around the woman's throat. "Say that again?" he said smugly. "Sorry cupcake, but I aint someone you should play with. Give me the rope girl." he said turning his calm gaze on the young girl in front of him. Her eyes widened with fear and she let the rope fall to the ground, frozen in place. The woman struggled against his arm; she was strong, but no match for him. "Damnit, let me go!" she screamed. "Calm down bitch, I aint gonna hurtcha. You'll bring every walker in this damn forest down on us if you don't shut the hell up." She continued to struggle and he looked over at Janine, realizing how frightened she looked. He sighed. "Alright, alright, I'll letcha go, but you gotta calm the hell down." He released the woman, lowering the gun, and she ran straight for Janine, taking her into a protective embrace. "Who are you?" he asked again. "Go to hell." the woman replied, pushing her sister behind her. He sighed, his annoyance growing with every second. _Damn, this's what I get for tryin to help. _"Fine. The both of you can rot for all I care. I'm done tryin ta help strangers." He put the gun in his belt and started walking back the way he came. "I need that gun!" the woman yelled after him. "Sucks for you." he replied, thinking how if she had just let him help she would still have it. And then she was on his back, crushing his crossbow into his shoulders, strangling him from behind. "Son of a Bitch!" he choked. His hands instinctively went to his throat, but she had a vipers grip. He threw his wait until he was falling backwards. He heard the air escape from her lungs as they made contact with the ground. He rolled off of her and she lay there, still. "Emma!" Janine ran towards the woman. The lady coughed a bit and gasped in a breath, then began breathing normally. A small groan escaped her lips. "What the hell were you thinkin! You crazy bitch." he grabbed her wrists and yanked her to her feet. Janine slapped at him, yelling at him to get away. "Shut up. The walkers'll hear ya." he said pushing her away and examining, who Janine had called, Emma. "Shit lady. You need to calm the hell down. If you do anything like that again, you best pray it knocks me out." he said stiffly. Her barrings returned and she pushed his hands away. "Don't touch me you Asshole." she said stepping back. "You jumped me and I'm the asshole? Damn fine world we live in." he grunted as he repositioned his crossbow. His shoulder ached where the butt of his bow had rammed into him. _That'll be a bitch to deal with._ "You stole my gun. That's the only one we have left; it's our only means of protection except the knives we have." she said crossing her arms. He narrowed his eyes. "I told you I meant nothin by coming down here but helping that little girl, and you put a gun to my head. Then when I best you and leave you be to go on my way, you jump me. You haven't exactly made the best impression, princess. Hell if I shouldn't kill you where you stand." Her face relaxed at his words as realization for his actions sunk in. "I'm sorry, okay? We don't trust strangers anymore. The last ones tried – we haven't had good experiences." she said solemnly. "Fine. Don't need to know your business, didn't ask for it. What the hell y'all doin out here in the first place?" he asked taking the gun from his belt. She eyed the gun but spoke anyway, "Thought you didn't need to know our business." He stifled a chuckle. "Fine. Have your gun back, s'long as you don't try to use it on me no more." he said holding the gun out. "Deal." She said stepping forward. She glanced at him, he nodded towards it and she took it from his hand. She felt it over then placed it in the back of her pants. "It's getting dark. Janine, grab the packs, let's get out of here." she said turning her back to him and walking back towards their stash. He watched as they gathered their belonging. The woman glanced back at him and he nodded, then she turned and disappeared into the trees.


	3. Broken World

**AUTHORS NOTE: I hope you enjoy! I appreciate you taking the time to read this piece of work! **

She paused and looked back through the trees. He was walking away, back the way Janine had said he came from. The thought of following him crossed her mind, but she dismissed it immediately. He was obviously too strong and could overpower her without so much as a thought. Looting a few supplies from wherever he came from wasn't worth the risk he presented. It was scary how close she had come to losing her sister. She had only been gone five minutes, out to find firewood. She had never imagined that another person would be a threat to Janine in those woods. She glanced over at her standing beside her. "You okay?" Her sister looked up at her and nodded. They were lucky. What if he hadn't been so merciful. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all, he really hadn't done anything wrong. _Don't let your guard down, girl. You thought the last batch was fine too. _She chided herself for thinking she could trust anyone but herself and her sister. He was just another jerk-face asshole who would end up stabbing them in the back, or worse. "Why did he let us go?" her sister's quiet words interrupted her thoughts. "I – I don't know Janine. But be grateful for it. He could have killed us both if he had wanted." Emma crouched down and looked into her sisters big brown eyes. "Don't be afraid though, okay? We've got each others backs. And we found out it's never safe to be alone, no matter where we are. We learn from things like this." Her sister nodded and grabbed her hand.

As dusk drew nearer they found a place to camp. They hadn't gone far enough from where they met 'Sir Hick of the Forest' for Emma's liking, but it would have to do. They found a cliffed in area where they had a rock wall to there back, and trees to there front. She could sleep knowing she didn't have to watch her back. Only problem was, if something went down, they'd be trapped. A risk she was willing to take; just had to make sure nothing went down. "Janine, why don't you dig out some of those beans we found a couple days back." Her sister went to work as she began setting up the tent. A few minutes later Janine brought over a can of beans and two bent spoons. "This is our last one, Em." Her sister looked tired and hungry, and her eyes were distant. That child had seen more horror since the world went to shit than any kid should ever see in a million lifetimes. Emma sighed. "I guess we'll have to look for some food tomorrow. We'll head into that town several miles back and see what we can find. For now you eat these beans and then get some sleep. I'll take first watch." Her sister looked up at her with worried eyes. "You need to eat too." she exclaimed. "I'm not hungry, sis. To much has happened today for me to think about food. You go ahead and eat that." Her sister's eyes betrayed seeing right through that lie, but she ate the beans in silence. Emma smiled as her sister nestled into her sleeping bag and drifted to sleep. Since the world went to hell, Janine hadn't smiled or laughed at anything. She couldn't appreciate the fact that they were lucky to even have sleeping bags. All she knew was everyone she loved, except Emma, had been ripped away from her, and every day was a struggle to survive, every day the possibility of even Emma being ripped away haunted her. All she knew now was death and heartache. What she wouldn't give to see her little sister laugh again, to see her eyes light up and that gorgeous smile their dad had always bragged about dance on her lips. Dad... how she missed him. She felt like she had no one to talk to anymore, Janine was only ten and didn't understand half the things Emma felt. Maybe they couldn't do this on their own after all. But every time they trusted people, they got burned. This world was hell, and the dead weren't the only reason. The living were just as much to blame for some of the horror and heartache they had witnessed. _This world is changing people, including you, and not particularly for the better. _She thought as she scanned the trees for anything out of place. Those men from the last group, they had tried to do things with her. They wanted – favors. Emma had never been the type of girl to even kiss a guy she didn't know, let alone do anything more. When they gawked at her figure and made crude remarks to her, she knew trouble was brewing. Then one night they tried to make her, tried to force themselves on her. If her sister hadn't walked up when she did – at least they had the decency to stop when an innocent child was present. The next morning, the sisters had slipped away without a word, never wanting to make contact with that group again. Emma decided then that it was safest for the two of them to be on their own; they could make it by themselves as long as they stuck together.

Her eyes grew tired as the hours passed. It had been days since she had gotten a decent nights rest. She hated having her sister take watch, but she was going to pass out if she didn't get some sleep. She crawled over to her sister and nudged her awake. "J, I really need some sleep, think you can take watch for a couple hours?" she whispered as her sister stirred. Janine rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Mhm, I can watch." she said sleepily as she took the gun from her hands. As soon as she was sure Janine was awake and alert, Emma laid down and closed her eyes, trying to force her thoughts to pleasant memories. She tried thinking of Janine's eighth birthday party, or their family trip to the Grand Canyon, but they only brought the emptiness of knowing those memories were long gone – those people were long gone. Tears slipped past the corners of her eyes as she lay on the cold, hard ground, trying to find the peace of sleep. It took some time, but eventually she drifted into an uneasy slumber.


	4. Chance Encounter

**AUTHORS NOTE: I hope you enjoy reading chapter four! It's so nice that you are taking the time to read what I've written. **

The sun was hot, making for a hell of day to be huntin. Daryl crouched low near some trees and aimed his crossbow. This was his seventh squirrel to pin in the last hour; at least he wasn't having a hard time finding food. The arrow went straight through the little rodents body. He pulled the arrow from the tree and strung the little bastard with the rest of them on his shoulder, which still ached somethin awful from that damn girl piggy backin him yesterday. Damn, it was hot. Sweat dripped into his eyes and he was filthy from crawlin around in the dirt for arrows. _Screw this, I'm done. _He thought as he reloaded his bow and slung it on his back. He would just have to come back out tomorrow. When he got back to camp, he tossed the squirrels near the fire pit and trudged over to his tent. He took off his shirt and strained to look at his shoulder. A bruise the size of a rat marred his flesh. He groaned at the bluish purple mark. Five minutes later Lori was calling for him. He quickly put his shirt back on. "What you want." he said calmly. "Are you going to skin these?" she said holding the string of squirrels out. _Skin em yourself bitch. _"Leave me be, I aint your servant boy." he scoffed. She gave him an unamused look. "Daryl, you know I'm not as efficient or fast as you. Comon now." she said still holding out those damn squirrels. "Fine." He roughly took the meat and she rolled her eyes. That chick got on his last nerve. He went to work on them. It was nasty business, but he had done it his whole life, so it was nothing new to him. Shortly after he finished, he walked right up and threw them in Lori's direction. She yelped as the bloodied bodies landed in her lap. "Daryl!" she cried. He ignored her and went straight for his tent without a second glance.

"Hey Daryl!" _Can't I get some damn peace around here. _He looked up from his whittling to see Glenn approaching; ignoring him, he started peeling away at the stick with his knife once again. "Daryl, Rick wants us to make a run into that town several miles back for some supplies." Glenn said looking down at him. Daryl remained silent, continuing on with his business. Glenn gave an exasperated sigh. "Daryl, he wants you to be there." "Leave me be. I aint makin no run." Daryl replied, not bothering to look up from his work. "Comon man, Rick wants you to come. You're crossbow is a lot quieter, and your a good shot. We could really use your help." Glenn whined. Daryl glanced up from his arrows at Glenn's hopeful face. He huffed and set aside his half carved arrows. "Fine, but just cause I need some stuff myself." he said gruffly. Sometimes his southern accent bled through more than others. He picked up his crossbow and the arrows he had finished and followed Glenn to where Rick waited. "Glad you could join us." Rick said to Daryl. "Shut up and get in the damn truck. I aint got all day." Daryl said annoyed. "Man's got a point, we're burnin daylight." Rick said as he took the drivers seat, as Daryl hopped in the bed with his bow. The engine roared to life and they were on their way.

They pulled up to the edge of town and Rick shut down the engine. Before opening the door, Rick looked at the two men with him, Daryl listening through the small window looking into the cab, "Let's make this quick and quiet. I'd like to avoid any problems – or casualties." Daryl nodded and hopped out of the bed. He took a moment to listen for signs of life inside the town, or rather signs of anything – dead or alive. When he was confident in his stealthy advantage, he raised his crossbow and pushed forward into the town, Glenn and Rick following his lead. _I thought Rick was heading this, why are they following me. _The thought crossed his mind, but he pushed it away, focusing only on the task at hand. They headed for the pharmacy, medicine being their first priority. Daryl approached the door quickly and quietly, his senses high and his muscles tense. He signaled Rick to take the other side of the door, and Glenn to head around back. When Rick had gotten into position he nodded the go ahead. He slowly turned the knob and opened it, putting his crossbow in first. It was quiet, empty of any walkers that he could see. Glenn came through the back and nodded that it was clear. "Take anything you can find, I'm sure we'll have use for it." Rick whispered as they entered into the store. Daryl grimaced at the heat of the day as he worked filling his pack. He was stuffing some sort of antibiotics into his bag when a soft creak reached his ears. He tensed and raised his eyes to the door – nothing. He scanned the shop, seeing Rick and Glenn still hard at work, not having noticed the slightest difference in his demeanor. The back – it had come from the back, he was sure of it. He set down his pack and raised his crossbow, slowly approaching the far side of the pharmacy. "Daryl?" Glenn questioned through gritted teeth. Daryl put a finger to his lips, motioning for quiet. His muscles ached as he went from room to room in the back, checking for walkers – or anything else that might be lurking in the shadows. He stepped out onto the dirt behind the store, having checked the whole place, relieved he hadn't found anything. _Was sure I heard something though, damn it. _He looked around and saw nothing, so he made his way around the store to the front. He froze; a walker bent over something in the middle of the street. Guts hung from it's mouth as it dug into whatever it was eating. _Late afternoon snack, huh. _He aimed his bow at its head, and just as he was about to pull the trigger, the walker flinched forwards and toppled over the dead carcase. _What the hell? _His brow furled as he shrunk in closer to the wall. He crouched down, peaking around the corner. The gun that killed that walker had a silencer, which none of them had the luxury of owning, but that shot sure as hell came from the pharmacy. "Daryl, could you uhh, come in here please?" a voice, he knew to be Glenn's, said from inside. He walked up the steps to see that auburn bitch holding a gun to Rick's head and Glenn being bound by the brat. "You!" she said, her eyes widening in surprise, then quickly narrowing to resent. Rick, his hands up, rose an eyebrow, "You two know each other?" "Wouldn't go that far. Ran into her in the woods yesterday. Bitch tried to best me." Daryl said with audacity, then shifted is attention to the woman. "What makes you think this little scene will go any differently than yesterday, princess?" he said, raising an eyebrow, but calmly keeping his countenance level. "You didn't have friends for me to threaten yesterday." she said coolly. "It's funny you think that'll make a difference." he replied. She shoved Rick to his knees, pressing the silencer firmly to his skull. He saw a twitch in her eye, hesitation, when no reaction showed on his face. That was his window. "Sorry Rick." as the words left his mouth he kicked Rick backwards into the woman, causing her to lose her balance. She fell backwards, sounding off a shot into the ceiling, and Daryl was on top of her with his crossbow in her face. "Make a move darlin." He said, his gaze steadfast. He pulled the gun from her grip and tossed it to Rick, who was now up and untying Glenn. Janine stood in the corner trembling. She stared up at him, defeat in her eyes, breathing beneath him. Rick was checking his own gun as Glenn went over to Janine. "That shot will attract walkers, we need to move. Bring them along, we'll sort this mess back at camp." he said with finality. Daryl stood over her, never breaking her stare, and offered her a hand. She ignored it and stood to her feet. Janine ran to her and they hugged for a second. Emma bent down to whisper something to the girl, then stood and faced Daryl. "If we're going, then lets go." she said wearily. Rick and Glenn led the way out, Emma and Janine behind, with Daryl bringing up the rear. As they stepped out of the pharmacy, hell broke loose.


	5. New Members

He would never get used to the putrid smell of death that hit you like a freight train as you stepped near a walking corpse. As long as he'd been huntin, nothing compared to the smell that plagued the world now. The dead littered the street as they exited the pharmacy, but they weren't lying still. Upon their not so quiet retreat of the building, every walker in that town was headed straight for them, and all they had was 6 guns and a crossbow. The group stood shocked on the patio of the Pharmacy, surprised at the numbers headed there way. Daryl's reflexes took over without a thought, and he had two walkers down before the others even registered what was happening. Adrenaline filled his veins, his muscles taught with years of skill flying back into action. Rick yelled something he didn't hear, and Glenn responded, shooting somethin awful. He paused a moment to take in the little girl, terrified where she stood, and the woman holding her. He pulled a pistol from his belt and tossed it to the woman. She caught it, stared at him for a brief moment, then fixed her attention on the walking dead. They took down several, but there was just to many for the amount of ammunition and man power they had. Waves of the beasts came towards them. For every one they dropped, three took it's place. Daryl glanced toward the truck they drove in. Five, six – six walkers between them and the car. _That'll do. _"Rick!" he shouted over the gunfire. He jerked his head in the vehicles direction and Rick caught his drift. "Make a break for the truck!" he shouted. "Glenn, take the girls. Daryl, you clear a path, I'll bring up the rear." he said as he took down another bastard. Glenn shoved the two girls towards their destination and Rick followed, with Daryl taking out walker after walker, making a path straight towards the truck. Two walkers came up on Daryl's right, catching him off guard with their speed. He dropped one, but the other was on top of him before he had time to react. He wrestled it for a good minute, more walkers closing in on him with every second. His breathing was labored, he grunted as he fought the damn thing, trying with all his strength not to get bit. Rick was still shooting. It's teeth snapped for his blood, flesh stuck between every tooth. He screamed in rage as he shoved the walker off, plunging an arrow deep into it's skull. He panted, retracting the arrow and trying to reload. A walker went down right behind him, scarring the shit out of him as he starred at it's mangled body. He looked up to see Rick's wide eyes and a pistol pointed in his direction. He nodded thanks and jumped to his feet, resuming his shooting whilst backing towards them. As they reached the truck, Glenn fumbled with the keys, trying to get the engine started. Daryl resorted to using his pistol as he continued firing on the undead. Rick was in the bed of the truck as the engine roared to life. They started moving, and as Daryl fired one last shot between the eyes of a walker, he ran, vaulted into the bed, and they spun off, leaving the groans of hell in their wake.

Only after they arrived back at camp did he realize he was covered in guts and coagulated blood. No wonder he couldn't escape that smell. He hopped out of the truck bed and grabbed his crossbow. He stood and waited, along with Rick, as Glenn exited the drivers side. He shrugged and joined them, eyes intent on the passenger door. Janine hopped out first, frightened eyes trying to absorb the scene before her, and forget the one they had just escaped. Then came Emma. Daryl was surprised to see determination etched on her face. She was a hard ass, he'd give her that. She pushed Janine behind her and took a protective stance. The men stood there, staring at the girls for several minutes when Daryl decided this was a waste of time. He broke the uncomfortable silence, "Damn Rick. The girl has threatened to kill me twice, but she sure as hell knows how to use a gun." he strode towards them and grabbed the gun still clutched in Emma's hand. Janine flinched. "While I don't agree with the presentation, Daryl is right. You two did hold us at gunpoint." Rick said crossing his arms. Emma responded quietly, "We don't trust strangers anymore. They always try to hurt us. I was just protecting my sister, and myself." Janine burst into tears at her side and Emma just held on tight. "Daryl, can I talk with you." it came out more as a statement than a question, but Daryl joined Rick off to the side. "What happened in the woods yesterday?" he asked, a hint of anger evident in his voice. "It don't matter. I took care of it." Daryl said, a little impatient with the man. "Obviously not." Rick spat. He breathed a heavy sigh and calmed himself before continuing. Daryl could see the weight that had been placed on this man's shoulders. "She has a little girl. We can't just send them away, it'd be condemning them to death." Rick pondered aloud. "They lasted this long on their own, what makes you think anything'd change." Daryl retorted. Rick just shot him a glance. Daryl knew without words what he meant, and despite his building annoyance with the woman, he consented it true. "It's two more mouths to feed, Rick." he mentioned. Rick sighed again, "I know. But I can't just leave them out there alone. We both know they didn't do anything that we wouldn't have, had we been in their position." "She's a spit-fire, that red head. And the girl don't seem like she's nothin more than a scared kid. Let 'em stay. I'll help you keep an eye on em. I took 'em down twice on my own, doubt they'll be a problem." Daryl said shrugging. "If they aren't a problem, they may turn out to be useful." Rick nodded at his words and they stepped back towards the girls awaiting their fate. "You're going to be staying with us for a while. Until we can figure out what to do." Rick stated to the girls. "Daryl here will show you where to stay." Daryl shifted where he stood. "Or, you could just let us go." Emma said, her face blank. _Shit, the girl sure does have guts. _Rick smirked, "No, I don't think that's best, and I'm sure you can figure out why." She nodded her defeat and turned her eyes to Daryl. Rick walked into the camp and announced that they would have some guests staying for a while. Daryl heard him explaining what had happened and saw the looks of worry and confusion on the various faces in the group. _Can't blame em, they have no idea what's goin on._ Janine had subdued her tears and followed Emma to Daryl's side. Her gaze held contempt, but he ignored it. He turned on his heal and walked to a small clearing. "You can set up a tent here." he said gesturing to the empty space. She nodded and began unpacking her bag. She looked up at him, "Anything else?" she asked coolly. He simply turned and walked away.

She could feel the penetrating looks she was getting from people in the small group. Rick had apparently explained what had happened, but none of them knew who she was, or even her name. Janine clung to her side as she went about unpacking their various belongings. She had just finished setting up their tent when a woman came over. "My name is Carol." she said with a warm smile. Her eyes were a calm and peaceful blue. "Emma." she said to the woman. "Welcome to our camp. I hope you can feel comfortable here." Carol said, still smiling down at her. She glanced at Janine and asked, "What's your name?" Janine shrugged farther behind Emma, clinging to her leg. "That's Janine." Emma said placing a hand on the young girls head. "Hi Janine. It's nice to meet you." Carol said brightly. Janine relaxed and edged a little closer to the woman. "Hi." she managed. "Well I better go see what I can do around her, it was nice meeting you both." Carol said, and walked away. Others from the group had been watching the encounter, and when they realized Emma was looking back they all resumed whatever they had been doing. _This is going to be very interesting. _She thought to herself as she gave Janine a quick hug and proceeded to finish unpacking.

He pulled a clean shirt on over his head. _Damn trip cost me a dozen arrows at least. To hell with them and supply runs. _He grabbed his knife and the arrows he had been working on and left his tent, welcoming the fresh air. His nostrils had just started to clear of the gruesome smell of death. He glanced over at Emma, still unpacking her things into the tent she was sharing with Janine. He noticed a few members of the group had introduced themselves, including Carol, earlier, but the rest had steered clear of the newcomers. They were content with standing on the sidelines, watching them like animals in a zoo until they felt it safe to approach. He sneered at the way they sat back and criticized one another. Rick was a good man, he had come to realize that, and Glenn, while being a bit weird for Daryl's taste, was as well. Shane was a full on asshole, and Dale, was well, a bit of a preach, always giving his opinion and beliefs freely. T-Dog was pretty decent, though he had his moments, like leaving Merele cuffed to a roof, but Daryl had let that go. It was mostly the women, except Carol, that did the judging. He saw the looks of contempt they flashed Emma's way. Lori was a bitch, using Carl as an excuse for being distrusting towards everyone, and Andrea was a naïve skank. But he kept his thoughts to himself, working with whomever Rick asked him to. As much as he hated to admit it, the group was definitely welcome in this shitty world, it would have been hard to survive on his own this long. He was still getting used to living and working with people, he had always been a loner, but the group respected that aspect of him, and left him to himself unless something needed to be done. It was still awkward at times, and he struggled to keep his temper under control, but it worked for the most part. He wasn't sure about Emma yet. She had threatened him twice, but under the circumstances, he understood her distrust and need to protect herself and her companion. So he didn't think to much about what had happened. He didn't trust her by any means, but he also didn't feel like she was a threat. He was pretty good at reading people, and she seemed alright. Although something about her bothered him. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something about her made him shift where he stood. How had she survived alone all this time, with a little girl? His thoughts were interrupted when Andrea approached him. "What do you think of her?" she asked, her eyes intent on Emma. "What's it to you?" he said, disinterested in her opinion. "Rick said you met her before today. What's her deal?" she said resting her gaze on him. He gave her a look, ignored her question, and walked away, taking his thoughts with him.


	6. Familiarization

It was warm when Emma woke, and the sun had yet to rise. She looked over at Janine, who was still sound asleep, her breathing deep and even. She sighed to herself. She sat for a moment thinking, then decided. They needed to leave, and if they were going to do it quietly, they needed to go now. She packed up her things and was just about to wake Janine when something outside caught her attention. It was too early for the camp to be waking up, wasn't it? Something out there was moving. She slowly reached over her sleeping sister and took hold of her gun, and a dagger while she was at it. She peeked her head out of the tent, only to see Daryl, with his crossbow, heading towards the trees. For some reason, that didn't help her relax. She moved out of the tent and stood, staring after him. _He must be hunting. _She took a quick look at Janine's sleeping figure, then determined she would follow him. There was something about that sandy-blonde hick that made her twitch. Those blue eyes held secrets, pain, mystery. He intrigued her, while simultaneously scaring the shit out of her. She grabbed her boots from the tent and pulled them on, trying not to lose sight of Daryl. She crouched low, quickly trying to maneuver through the tents and equipment the group left out. She noticed Dale sitting atop the RV. _Shit, if he sees me, he'll say something and I'll either lose Daryl or he'll hear and I'll be busted. _She dropped to her knees and crawled after the tall man, falling behind as he disappeared into the trees. She reached the edge and stood, running into the cover of the forest. She stopped, breathing a little harder and looked for the man she had followed. It was still too dark to see clearly. _Damn. _He was nowhere in sight. She sighed, giving up her attempt at stalking, and turned to head back, only to come face to face with Daryl Dixon. She gasped and stepped back, losing her balance. She fell to her seat. "Fu–." she held her tongue. A frown set in on her face as a very calm Daryl looked down at her. "The hell are you doing following me." he asked simply. "I – I was just..." her words trailed off, knowing she had no excuse. "To be honest, I don't know what I was doing. I saw you heading out here and I guess my curiosity got the best of me." she replied plainly. "Yeah, well, curiosity killed the cat." he offered her a hand and this time, she took it. She brushed off her backside, his gaze never leaving her. "Sorry." she mumbled. He just looked at her. She couldn't get a read on this guy, she honestly had no idea what he was thinking. "Uhh...am I allowed to go back?" she asked after an awkward period of silence. "If you want." he shrugged. She blinked at him, trying to decipher exactly what he meant. Finally she decided to just answer with a, "Yeah." She turned to go back, when, before she lost her courage spun back to him and said, "Unless – unless it's okay if I come with you?" He looked at her blankly for a moment, making her regret her decision to speak. _Idiot, what where you think –?! _"Fine." he said. Her surprise must have registered on her face, because she noticed a small smirk play on his lips. "Comin?" she heard him ask as he pushed forward through the trees. She jogged to catch up with him. "What about your sister? You just leave her there?" he said quietly, aiming his crossbow at a squirrel on a far off tree. She watched his concentration as he exhaled and pulled the trigger. It hit square in the center of the little animals body. _Holy shit. _"Nice job." she cleared her throat. He glanced at her from the side, and she remembered he had asked a question. "Oh, Janine will be fine. She was still asleep when I left. If we're too long, I'll go back." He nodded and went to retrieve the kill. He reloaded his bow and resumed his hunt. She made sure to stay close behind him, not wanting to get separated and lost in this God forsaken forest alone. They remained quiet for a time as she watched him retrieve kill after kill, never missing his target. He was exceptionally skilled, not only at shooting, but tracking and stealth as well. His muscles flexed with every arrow he pulled from a catch, and she couldn't help but admire his form. He was handsome, she'd give him that.

He felt her penetrating gaze on his back as he plucked the arrow from another squirrel. What was he thinking, letting her come with him. It was awkward having her watch his every move. He felt like he was being analyzed by a psychiatrist. He was more comfortable on his own. He chanced a quick look back at her; she was just standing there, starring at him. He huffed. This was ridiculous. "You're really good with that thing." he heard her say. He paused and looked back at her. She had her arms crossed, and a look of, what he thought, was respect. He grunted, nodding his acknowledgment of her compliment. She rolled her eyes. "Figured you'd be great at receiving compliments." she scoffed. He stifled a grin. He never had been good with people. She stepped lightly over the forest floor, and he noticed her admiration their surroundings. He felt a drop of liquid hit his head and looked up. He hadn't noticed the dark clouds moving in. _Shit. _"Looks like a storm's brewin." he said reverting his eyes to her. She looked back at him, troubled at the news, and he couldn't blame her. It'd be miserable getting caught out here in a storm. "We're about an hours walk from camp. It'll be harder to make it back in the rain, but we'll be fine. Let's go." he said striding past her. She followed him without a word. They walked for about twenty minutes without a problem, then the rain started to come. It started slow, but quickly grew to a steady downpour. He was soaked now, and it was becoming difficult to see the trail back. He knew which way they had come thankfully, so it shouldn't be a problem, he just felt more comfortable knowing it was there. He looked back to check on Emma, who was a few paces behind him. She looked up at him, water dripping from her auburn hair. She was very pretty. The thought came out of nowhere, and caught him off guard. He had no place thinking something like that; still, he couldn't deny it's truth. "How much farther?" she asked catching up with him. He looked ahead, trying to estimate how far they'd come back. "Two miles." he said glumly. "Bout forty minutes." she chimed in. "Yeah." he said glancing at her. She smiled and continued ahead. "What you got to be smilin about?" he asked at her peculiar behavior. She looked back at him, a mischievous grin touching her lips. His brow furled. "I love the rain and it's kind of nice being out here in it. Not a walker in sight, and even so, what should I worry. I've got you, don't I?" she said lightly. "You don't got nothin." he said back. She rolled her eyes and continued forward. He followed after her, confused by her strange behavior. "I'm impressed with your hunting skills, Mr. Dixon." she said balancing on a fallen tree. "Daryl. And you're gonna end up fallin on your ass." he said watching her. "Okay then, Daryl. How did you learn to shoot like that? And using a crossbow of all things." she said ignoring his advice about the balancing act. The rain continued at a steady pace, not too hard, but hard enough to annoy him, and her questions weren't helping. "Just something I had to do growin up. What's it to you." he said looking ahead into the forest for anything out of place. "Just making conversation." she said. He didn't reply and they pressed on in silence. He became uncomfortable with only the sound of rain in his ears, but the ever present feeling of the company beside him. He shrugged his crossbow up on his shoulder, touching the bruise that the woman in front of him had caused two days earlier. "Damn." he let slip. "What's wrong?" she asked coming up beside him."I got a bruise, hurts somethin awful. You rammed my bow into my shoulder when you jumped me the other day." he stated. She stopped in her tracks and looked at him, a crease in her brow. He kept walking, passing her. "Sorry about that." she whispered. He paused and look back; she stood there, her head hanging, rain beating down on the exposed skin of her arms. "I was only trying to protect my sister." the words came out quiet, but firm. "Forget it." he said plainly. She looked up and he jerked his head, motioning they continue moving. She stood frozen in place. He sighed and crossed his arms. He just looked at her, lost as to what he should, and shouldn't, say, so he kept his mouth shut. "No, really. I'm sorry I acted like that. I honestly was protecting our well being." she said pleadingly. Was she really looking for his approval? "Don't matter. Like I said, forget it." he said in as reassuring tone as he could muster. She nodded and walked toward him. He froze as she wrapped her arms around him. They stood there for what seemed like an eternity to him, the rain falling around them. She let go and looked into his eyes, "I hope your shoulder heals quickly." she said earnestly, and with that she headed in the direction of camp. _What the hell was that. _He pushed his thoughts aside and followed her.

When they reached the camp, she watched Daryl walk straight to his tent. She had no idea what had come over her in that forest. It's like she forgot everything that was wrong with the world, everything that had happened. It was just her and Daryl, alone in the rainy woods; and it was magical. That was the first time she had felt lightened of the burdens she constantly carried. She forgot about all the pain and loss she had suffered since the world fell to pieces. She couldn't understand why or how, but she had felt safe out there. And then she had hugged him. She could tell by the way he tensed when her arms enfolded his torso that he was not ready or expecting it. His whole body went rigid under her embrace, but she hadn't let go. She sighed. What was she doing. He was probably mad at her for touching him now. _Whatever. _The rain had stopped as she ran to her tent, finding Janine coloring. "Hey baby girl, I'm so sorry I left without telling you. Are you alright?" she said as her sister looked up. Janine leaped to her feet and entangled Emma with her arms. "I missed you! Where were you?" the small girl said. "I was out...hunting." Emma said hesitantly. The girl frowned in question. "Don't worry hon, I'm back now. I wont leave again without telling you, deal?" she said patting her head. "Deal." Janine said happily. "Where'd you get the coloring book?" Emma asked as she took a seat on her makeshift bed. "Carol gave it to me." her sister replied, resuming her portrait. Emma sighed. It had been a very eventful, and strange, day already, and they hadn't even had lunch.

Daryl tossed his bow into his tent. His mind was reeling with what had just taken place. He couldn't decide if he was pissed, or confused, or happy, or...what. _The hell was that about. _He thought as he checked his bow over. He glanced through the screen of his tent towards where she had her small place set up. He couldn't tell for sure, but it looked like she was in there with her sister. He didn't like what he was feeling towards her. It was stupid, he barely knew her and she had threatened his life twice in three days, then hugged him an hour ago. She was a mess of confusion, and he didn't need it. Not on top of everything else that was going on. The world was ending, and here he sat worrying about some girl he had no knowledge of, when he should be thinking of how they were going to survive another thoughts trailed off as he sat down hard. _Well shit. _He placed his head in his hands, and just sat.


	7. Savior

"Lunch?" Emma jumped as the voice pierced through her thoughts. She turned around to see a woman whom had earlier given the name Lori. The rest of yesterday had been uneventful. Daryl had avoided her, and she had spent most of the day with Janine. She had slept well for once, and Janine has spent some time playing with the woman's son, Carl. "Didn't mean to startle you, but we have food if you 'n your sister are hungry. It's not much, but better than nothin." she shrugged. Emma smiled at the woman, "Sure, thanks." Janine crawled out of the tent mumbling how hungry she was, and Emma followed. They walked behind Lori to where the small group was crowded around the fire pit. They had heated several cans of soup they found in the small town on their scavenging trip. Carol was serving up bowls and handing them out. A man she had heard was named T-dog was sitting atop the RV keeping watch, already holding a bowl. She tried not to notice that Daryl was nowhere to be found. Carol smiled as she handed both Emma and Janine a small bowl of soup. "Sleep okay?" she asked warmly. "Just fine, thank you. Janine slept sounder than she has in a long while." Emma responded taking a bite of soup. Janine just grinned up at the both of them. She tugged on Emma's shirt, and glanced back at the tent. Emma looked back and nodded, giving her permission to scamper back to her coloring book with her food. Carol smiled after the little girl. "She's a beautiful young lady, and it's nice to see her smiling." she said thoughtfully. Emma looked into the woman's eyes; they were sad and full of a distant pain, but they held a warm and gentle love. "Yes, she is. I hate to ask it, but would you mind keeping an eye on her? Just check in and make sure she doesn't wander off? I'd like to spend a little time alone." Carol looked surprised, but nodded her consent and Emma took her soup and walked towards the trees. The clouds drifted overhead and she heard thunder rumble in the distance. _Looks like the rain isn't over. _A hopefulness grew inside her; maybe she could relive what had happened, maybe she could forget again. She found a large fallen log and took a seat, listening to the sounds of nature that remained. A steady breeze blew through the trees and she closed her eyes. _What am I doing out here. _She sighed heavily. Good Lord, if walkers were to come by here, she'd be toast.

Carol walked to the tent and looked in. Janine had fallen asleep on her coloring book. She smiled to herself. _What a sweet child. _It had been several hours since she had seen Emma. She hoped she was alright. She frowned and looked around the camp. She definitely wasn't back yet, and the clouds looked awfully ominous. Worry clawed it's way into the pit of her stomach. Emma should be back by now, especially with this storm approaching. She knew she wouldn't be able to do anything alone, but she could find someone who could, she had seen which way Emma had gone into the forest.

Daryl was just about to clean his shotgun when Carol came running up. She looked worried. "Daryl, I think Emma is in trouble. She went out in the forest a while ago, and she hasn't come back. The storm looks like it's going to be bad, and I'm worried she got lost – or worse." the words came out of her mouth so quickly he almost didn't catch all of it, except that last part. _Or worse. _He looked up; dark clouds took the place of a once blue sky. Carol was right, if Emma had gotten her ass lost out there, she would be in for a shit storm. If _worse _happened, and he went looking for her, he'd be the one caught in the storm. But she had survived this long on her own, so he decided it was more likely she was lost. He looked back at the worry plastered all over Carol's face. He rolled his eyes and grabbed his crossbow. If this chick hadn't caused him enough trouble already, he wasn't looking forward to the future. He nodded at Carol and made his way towards the trees.

A damn fine mess she had gotten herself into this time. It had just started to rain, and she was fumbling around in a darkening forest, with a storm approaching, lost. She cursed herself for having come out here alone. What the hell was she thinking? _You stupid dumbass. You left Janine alone with a perfect stranger and came gallivanting into the woods on your own with nothing but a god damn hope. What the hell were you doing. _She tripped over something and fell to the damp forest floor. "Shit!" she cursed aloud. _Great, just fu – _A low moaning cut her thoughts short. Her eyes shot up, searching the forest. She scrambled to her feet, keeping low and scanning the trees for any sign of movement. A corpse shuffled nearby, moving slowly and looking unsteady. All she had was a pistol, and everything in her screamed to shoot it where it stood, but some logical part of her brain was telling her that was a bad idea. The noise from the gunshot would attract any walker within miles, and then she'd be dead. No, this one walker she'd have to find another way to take care of. She sat still for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. A few options presented themselves. One: She could take a thick branch and beat it's skull in until she reached the brain. Two: She could find a rock if a branch did not declare itself. Three: She could simply wait until the walker moved on. None of these options sounded particularly great to her, but she looked for anything she could use to defend herself. She finally found a large stick. She peaked around the tree she was hiding behind and saw the damn thing, just standing there, wavering like a drunk person. She quietly started to move towards it, raising the stick to an attack position. *****Snap* _Shit. _The walker's head rose, and sunken eyes fixed on her. A low growl escaped it's cracked and bloodied lips. It lumbered towards her. She rose the stick higher and when it got close enough, brought it down as hard as she could against it's head. The thing recoiled; the branch cracked in two. She dropped the useless piece she had left and looked at her empty hands. She reached for the pistol and aimed it at the bastard. It clicked when she pulled the trigger. The goddamn thing was jamming! The walker composed itself and lunged towards her. She ran. She had only gotten a few feet before she abruptly fell, twisting her ankle. She cried out in pain as the walker clumsily approached her, it's teeth bared and hungry for flesh. She crawled away, when another walker stepped in front of her. _This is it, I'm going to die._ _Oh, Janine, I'm so sorry. _A tear rolled down her cheek. She fought as the walker tried to bite into her arms, the other one too stupid to go around the first, bent over it trying to reach past. It was just adding to the weight that was now crushing her. She tried with all her strength to keep the jaws from taking hold of any part of her person. It was stronger than she anticipated and she could not catch a break. She struggled and wrestled with them, their breath rancid in her nostrils, when suddenly blood splattered onto her face. She blinked; an arrow protruded from it's skull. It wheezed and another whooshing sound came and the second walker collapsed on top of the first. She shoved them off, laying there, catching her breath, confusion and exhaustion taking over. Her eyes blurred with tears, and a figure came into view, standing over her. She blinked away the salty streams and saw her savior, Daryl. He reached out his hand and she took it, more grateful than he could ever know. He helped her to her feet and she didn't care what he thought, she hugged him. She held on to him like he was her life support, the only thing keeping her in this world. And she cried. She had never come as close to death as she just had. To her surprise, he just stood there, holding her. He didn't say a word, or move at all, he just let her cry. When her tears subsided, she pulled away and lowered her head without meeting his gaze. She knew he would criticize her foolishness; she was about to get a stern talking to. "You okay?" he said gently. She met his eyes. She saw concern, pain, loneliness, and confusion. "I am now, thank you." she said quietly. Before he could say anything else, she apologized for her actions, "I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was doing, or thinking, or anything. I was foolish and I could have gotten you killed. I almost died and you could have been hurt and I'm just so sorry. Janine! She'll never forgive me. I'm so sorry...so, so sorry." it came out in a rush of emotion and he just stood there. "Shut up, Red. It's okay. Listen here, don't go runnin off on your own again, but no harm done. You're okay right? You aint bit?" he said calmly. She shook her head and he nodded. "Cmon, lets get back." he said evenly. It was still raining. They didn't have too far to go, but it was late when they got back. When Carol saw them she ran over and hugged Emma. "Are you alright?" Emma just nodded her head and looked past Carol looking for Janine. "She's in your tent, worried sick, the poor thing." Carol said. Emma ignored the woman and ran straight for it. She took Janine into her arms and hugged her tighter than ever before. Janine hugged her back. They didn't need to say anything, they just held each other close, feeling that they were both alive. Emma kissed her on the head. "I'll be right back sweetheart. I just have to thank Daryl, then we can get some sleep, okay?" Janine nodded hesitantly. Emma kissed her head once more, and left the tent. She found Daryl standing by a tree cleaning his arrows. He looked at her, his expression unreadable. "I just wanted to thank you again, Daryl. Really. You saved my life." she said genuinely. "Sure." he replied. Before she lost her courage, she stepped forward and kissed his cheek. "Goodnight Daryl. And thank you again." she whispered, then turned and walked back to her tent.


	8. Tension

It was still raining when he woke up the next morning. He needed a drink. He laid in his tent for a while, just listening to the sound of the storm. It was nice not doing anything. Who said the apocalypse had to constantly be a shit hole. If there were any kind of perks, he would take advantage of them; and he found that lying around doing nothing, when you couldn't hunt or do anything else worth while, was one of them. He heard Rick talking and imagined the whole camp was up and moving, but in the rain, not much moving happened. His thoughts drifted to Emma. He hated the strange urge he felt to go make sure she was alright after yesterday. Whatever was happening, he didn't like it. He stepped out of the tent into the cool rain, the clouds overhead still dark as ever. His boots squished into the earth as he tried to find Rick. Maybe he would give him something to do, taking his mind off of the girl. He walked up on Rick arguing with Lori. He quickly averted his destination to where Glenn was fixing a tent that had been blown around. "Need any help?" Glenn looked up at him with a shocked expression,"You?" "Don't look so surprised. I need somethin to take my mine off some stuff." Daryl grabbed the other side of the tent and held it taught while Glenn secured it. "Is it Emma?" Glenn asked curiously. "Mind your business." Daryl snapped. Glenn raised his hands apologetically. "Sorry man, just figured you might want to talk about it." "Even if I did want to talk, why the hell would I do it with you?" Daryl said sharply. "Sorry I asked." Glenn mumbled. The rain kept coming and was streaming off of Glenn's ball cap. They set up the tent and Daryl nodded at him.

_Shit. _Glenn didn't deserve that heat, but his nerves were on edge and he was pissed off for no reason this morning, or afternoon, or whatever the hell time it was. The rain wasn't helping either, and he needed to vent off some steam. He grabbed his bow from his tent and trudged into the trees. He shot whatever he could, merely letting his frustrations loose with each arrow. "Daryl?" the voice was smooth and silken. _Emma. _He turned to face her. "The hell do you want?" he said angrily as he tugged an arrow from the tree. "Are you okay?" Her voice rose with concern as she moved closer to him, reaching out her arm. He jerked away from her touch and glared at her. Her eyebrows rose in alarm as he turned and loosed another arrow right through a target he had set up earlier. "Leave me be." he stated simply, and walked to retrieve his arrow. He glanced her way and she looked hurt and confused. It made him angry that he had just hurt her, and it bothered him even more that hurting her made him angry. He growled in frustration, throwing his dagger into a tree. She had been standing there quietly and jumped a little when the blade made contact. "What do you want?!" he snapped at her. She flinched at his temper and just looked at her boots. "Just leave me alone. I don't need nobody, especially some girl like you, and I have better things to do than go saving your ass every other minute." he spat the words in her face. "This is something better to do? What's got you so pissy." she asked, now annoyed with his temper. "You run around here like you own the place, figuring you can do whatever the hell you want. I've had to march into this place twice already to save your ass, and now you're out here again." he shouted, yanking the dagger from the tree. She winced at his words. "Nobody asked you to come rescue me, Dixon. You did that yourself." she said glaring at him. "So I was supposed to just let you die." he stated grimly, a scowl firmly planted on his face. "You weren't _supposed _to do anything! You chose to do what you knew was right." she said pleadingly. He threw the dagger with surprising strength and yelled. He turned around and she was standing right next to him, ice in her eyes. "You know very well that I am perfectly capable of handling most situations. I've survived this long on my own. The other day...I'm not sure what happened. Yes, you saved my life, and I am beyond grateful for it. But that gives no excuse for you acting like you have the right to go off on me about how I choose to live." she said coolly. He glared at her and she raised her eyebrows. "You are one hell of a woman, lady. You came into our camp, and you expect me to let you go wandering off to who knows where. How do I know you don't have some secret mafia hidin out here in the woods, waiting for your signal to come kill every last one of us." She rolled her eyes. "Oh come on Daryl, don't be an idiot." she said angrily. His temper heated. "You don't know me. You don't know what I've been through, what I've seen. People these days can't be trusted. You could be playing us!" he yelled. "And you don't know me! I've seen quite enough Daryl, I know how it is. I never asked for this! I never asked for your trust, your saving, anything!" she screamed. "I've had a ten year old girl with me, my own sister, to protect. People have played us, hurt us, and tried to come between us. I know what it's like." she said quieting her voice. He starred at her, the rain falling between them. He was trying to control his temper. Her words made sense, but he was blinded by his rage. "You got some nerve, girl. The worlds shit, we both know it. I aint saying I regret saving you, you just gotta stop acting like you own the place. You're still a stranger here and –." She kissed him mid sentence. Her lips were soft against his, her breath warm. She held there for a few seconds and when she pulled away he just blinked. He stood in shock, trying to process what had just happened. "You really need to learn to shut up Daryl." she said quietly. His temper calmed and he relaxed a bit. "I know I shouldn't have gone out alone. I was trying to escape some troubling thoughts. It was stupid, and I'm sorry. I won't do it again. I am very grateful for you and your groups hospitality, towards me and my sister. Thank you, and I'll be more careful." she whispered. "What the hell was that." he asked frowning. "I was apologizing." she stated blankly. He gave her a look. "It was a kiss, you couldn't tell?" she said coyly. "You make a habit of goin around kissin guys you barely know?" he asked mockingly. She paused a moment and looked at him, her eyes sparkling in the rain. "No actually, I never do. I honestly have no idea why I just did that." she shrugged. He shifted uncomfortably. She blinked a couple times, then turned and started walking in the opposite direction of camp. He watched her shapely form move in the rain, her long auburn hair cascading down her back. He slung his crossbow over his shoulder and jogged to catch up with her. He grabbed her arm and spun her around. "Hey genius, camp is that way." he said pointing over his shoulder. "Oh." She redirected her path and continued on as if he didn't exist anymore. _Women. I have no idea what the hell is going through her head. She kissed ME, not the other way around. God damnit why does she have to make things so complicated. _He followed after her, wishing more than anything he had some form of alcohol to take the edge off. He couldn't take it any more. "The hell is your problem anyway? You come after me, kiss me, then just act like I don't exist? To hell with you sunshine. I aint got time for this kind of shit." He didn't really feel angry any more, just annoyed with the situation and his own awkwardness with her. "What do you want from me, Daryl? I'm trying to be your friend and all you do is yell at me, tell me to 'leave you be', and criticize my living habits. You accuse me of playing you, and then tell me you don't regret saving me. You're giving me mixed signals. I know I've messed up, but I'm a bit distracted. So I'm lost as to what you want." she retorted angrily. "You kissed me. That eludes to more than friendship darlin. I don't know you, so why would I want anything from you." He stated simply. It made sense in his head, but he also didn't agree with it. _Son of a bitch! _"If Merele were here, life'd be so much more Goddamn simple." he mumbled. "Merele? Who's Merele?" she questioned curiously. "Mind your business." he replied annoyed. She sighed heavily and gave up talking, walking the rest of the way in silence.

She was infuriated with him, but even more so with herself. He had gone off on her about having to save her, accused her of being a spy, told her he didn't regret saving her, then proceeded to say she should stay in camp like a child. And then she had kissed him. She could not understand what possessed her to all of a sudden do such outlandish things; to him of all people. _You always did know how to pick 'em. _The tension between them was unreal as he followed her back to camp. As much as she hated what she did, she also could not get the feel of his lips out of her mind. It was driving her crazy how much she enjoyed it, despite the incredible awkwardness it had caused between them. She was beginning to feel things for this man, and she didn't understand how. She had barely known him for more than a few days, but he had a strange effect on her. It wasn't that big of a deal, it was just a little kiss. _Then why can't you seem to escape the need to kiss him again? _The thought surprised her, and she glanced back at him. Those piercing blue eyes remained locked forward, ignoring her presence. She could see the strain on his muscles as he walked behind her. He was tense and she couldn't blame him. But it wasn't helping her situation, his muscles were flexed and looked glossy under the steady rain, and the urge to kiss him grew with every second. _Get a hold of yourself woman! What is wrong with you? _His eyes met hers and her knees weakened. This was getting ridiculous.

He met her eyes, and he saw a hint of longing. An almost overwhelming need to take her into his arms swept over him. _Crap. _Merele would kill him if he knew a bitch like Emma was getting into his head. He repositioned his crossbow on his back and kept walking. _I need a drink. _He decided then that he would make a run into town. He remembered seeing a bar down the street from the pharmacy. By now the walkers would be thinned out, and he could handle anything that came up. One thing was for sure, he needed a drink, and he needed it as soon as possible. They made it back to camp and to his surprise, she walked over to Carol. They began chatting, occasionally directing their gaze at him. He rolled his eyes in annoyance. _They got no business talkin bout me behind my back. _He stalked over to his own tent, taking his hunting knife, a shotgun, pistol, and his trusty crossbow. He emerged a few minutes afterward, and headed over to Dale. "I'm heading into town. Need to get a few things." he said walking towards his chopper. "Woah, you can't go alone. That'd be suicide." Dale stood and walked after Daryl. "Don't tell me what to do, old man. I can take care of myself. Keep an eye on my stuff while I'm gone." he said as he mounted the motorcycle. "I can't let you do this, Daryl. Rick would never allow it." Dale shook his head as he stared after him. "Good thing Rick aint my mother." Daryl fired up the bike and nodded at Dale as he pulled away.


	9. No rest for the weary

Riding in the rain had always been a hassle, but he made it to the small town in good time. He dismounted the bike and headed towards where he thought he remembered the bar being. He kept his eyes peeled and senses sharp as he made his way down the small road. He spotted a walker shuffling behind the pharmacy and decided he should get rid of the threat before it became one. He crouched up behind it and stabbed an arrow up through its skull. He let it down quietly and kept moving. _Damn pharmacy was more trouble then it was worth. _He glared at the building as he passed behind it, remembering the previous trip. Another walker stood near a dumpster and he took it down quickly. When he finally reached the bar, three walkers waited inside, chowing down on what must have been a stray dog. _Damn._ He snuck inside, shot each one between the eyes, and stood, feeling pretty accomplished with his found some scotch behind the bar and poured himself a glass to celebrate his small achievement. The liquor burned as it went down; it'd been a while since he had been able to have a stiff drink, but it felt good. He relished the small luxury, sipping it as he wandered about the building. Old, broken photos littered the walls and floor of the bar, amidst splintering tables and chairs scattered about the place. A picture of a man and woman holding hands in front of the building lay torn under the shattered glass of the frame. It struck a chord, making him wish he was back at camp. He pulled the photo from beneath the shards of glass, feeling a sadness come upon him he didn't understand. He placed the photo on the counter as he finished his drink and poured another glass. Thunder rumbled outside, shaking the windows. He pondered staying the night and waiting out the storm; those devilish monsters would most likely steer clear of the bar in this weather. Dale would figure he was dead, but he didn't give a shit if the whole group decided he was. Unless they left without him, it wouldn't be a problem; a little worrying might do em some good, keep em on their toes. He sat down in one of the few chairs that was left intact and took another drink. Yep, he'd stay the night.

"Have you seen Daryl?" Dale asked, a worried expression evident on his face. "No, I haven't seen him around. Why?" Rick rested his hands on his hips as he spoke to Dale. Dale sighed in frustration, "He left on his motorcycle a few hours ago to head into town...alone. I tried to convince him it was dangerous, but he wouldn't listen. Now it's dark and he hasn't come back yet." "Are you saying Daryl is back in that town, alone, in the dark?" Rick asked, his alarm rising. Dale just nodded his head solemnly. "That son of a bitch is going to get himself killed. We had five people last time and barely made it out alive. There was over fifty walkers in that town." Rick said putting a hand to his head. "We have to go after him." Dale pushed. Rick took on a somber expression. "We can't leave now. The storm is raging and it's already dark, we'd be better off waiting til the morning." "He might be dead in the morning." Dale mumbled as he turned back to his RV. _What the hell was he thinking. _Rick was becoming extremely agitated as he made his way towards Emma's tent. "Emma, are you in there?" "Yes?" she replied. "You were with Daryl earlier right? Do you have any idea what he went into town for?" She emerged from the tent looking very distressed. "He did what." she said flatly. "Dale saw him leave for town on his bike, alone. Any ideas what possessed him to go out on his own?" he asked intently. "No." her eyes looked tired and her response strained. Rick sighed and looked at the exhausted girl before him. Who knows what hell she and her sister had been through; he sure knew he and the others had their share of hellfire. "Hey, he'll be fine. Daryl is one tough bastard, if anyone can make it a night alone, it's him." he said reassuringly. She sighed and nodded, her expression a picture of weariness. Janine popped her head out of the tent, curiously intrigued by the conversation. Emma glanced at her sister and then back at Rick. "Sorry I couldn't be any help." she muttered, then turned and entered her tent scolding Janine for eavesdropping. Rick turned back and examined the camp that lay before him. Makeshift tents with covers trying to keep the rain out, the RV, clothes lines strung from trees, burnt ash in the fire bits, and weary people clinging to whatever weapons they could find. Nowhere in this world was safe anymore; Daryl had just as much protection where he was, as they did here. He didn't have the numbers, but he had the advantage of stealth. He'd be okay.

Janine didn't like the expression on her sisters face. She looked more tired than usual and hadn't eaten much all day. "Emma, you should eat some of this jerky. It's really good, and you need the nutrients." she said offering her sister some of the dried meat. Her sister didn't respond. "Comon Emma, eat...Daryl made it." she tried again. Emma looked up at her with teary eyes. "I don't want any jerky, Janine. I don't know whats wrong with me." she choked. "He's out there on his own. He saved my life. I can't just sit here knowing he might die." she said, tears leaking from her misty green eyes. "Emma, he's a really tough guy. He will be okay, besides he went out there alone knowing what he was doing. He'll come back tomorrow. Don't worry." Janine said as she hugged her sister. In the past few days, Janine felt like she had grown up so much. Her sister had brought them to this camp full of people who had been nothing but nice to her. She had been able to help some of the ladies do washing and cooking, and she had loved it. It felt great to be needed, to be somewhere that she could learn, and mature with real, live, people. She had smiled, laughed, and played; she couldn't remember how long it had been since she had been able to do that. But her sister had fallen to pieces since they arrived. She had almost died, gotten lost in the woods, and Daryl had somehow become an obstacle. She didn't understand completely, but she knew her sister felt something for the man, and it had caused problems. Janine could tell Daryl liked Emma too, but they were both being really stupid and stubborn. They made things so complicated, by refusing to acknowledge their feelings and realize that they both had them. It was frustrating to see her big sister take on so much, and get so little reward for it. She had kept them both alive for so long, and she had protected her from so much. Now she had a chance to find some happiness, and she was being stubborn, and so was he. Emma's tears subsided and Janine gave a quick squeeze as she let go and looked into her sisters eyes. "It'll be okay Em." she said simply, almost marveling at the switch in the role of comforter. Her sister smiled weakly. "You're right." Emma said as she stroked Janine's hair. "Hey, I actually am hungry. Give me some of the jerky." Janine smiled and gave her sister the food, relieved that she was eating and getting some rest. They ate and chatted, reminiscing about old times and talking about this group they were with. "I – I really like it here em. Carl is really nice and fun to play with, and Carol and the ladies have been letting me help with things." Janine said timidly. "You do, huh? They are very nice people. No one has really triggered any alarm with me, except Daryl. But that's another story." Emma replied thoughtfully. "Can we stay?" Janine asked hopefully. Emma looked at her with great consideration. "If they will allow us, we can stay for a while J. I'll talk to Rick in the morning." "Oh thank you Em!" Janine said as she squeezed her sister tight. Emma laughed, "Okay, okay. Now lets get some sleep." Janine smiled as she laid down. She felt Emma kiss her head and settle in beside her. Before long, Emma was breathing steadily and Janine drifted into a restful sleep, dreaming of flowers and sunshine.

He watched the rain trickle down the window, wishing with everything he could get shit faced drunk right now. But he knew that would be foolish, seeing as how he was alone, and if something happened while he was drunk, he'd be dead. Getting wasted was a bad idea. A crack of thunder startled his attention as he watched the water lazily makes it's way across the length of glass. _Hell of a storm out there. _He rummaged in his bag for some jerky he had packed and his bottled water. He ate some food, took a swig of water, and laid down on the hard floor to try and get some sleep. He closed his eyes. He thought about hunting, being back in the days when it was more for sport than surviving. He had always cooked up what he killed, but it had never been a survival necessity. He was thinking about tracking a buck when Emma's face came into view. She was running from something, and she looked frightened. Her hair was matted with a dark liquid – blood. He frowned as she ran, and then saw the heard of corpses coming after her. He took off toward her, but he never got any closer. All he could see was Emma's terrified face. She was covered in blood and an unheard scream seemed to be emerging from her lips as she struggled against the overwhelming number of walkers. He wanted to help her, but he couldn't move, his feet were plastered to the ground. All he could do was watch helplessly as a walker grabbed her hair, wrenching her neck. It sunk its teeth into her pale neck, blood flowing down her shoulders. He cried out, but all he heard was his pulse pounding in his ears as walkers took her down. No sound escaped his throat as he watched in horror as she was overcome. She turned her head and his eyes locked with hers, terror tainting those beautiful green eyes. Tears fell from his eyes as he watched her get torn apart. And then, the silenced was pierced by a blood chilling shriek...

...He shot up panting, gripping his knife under white knuckles. Clammy sweat drenched his shirt as his vision absorbed the dusty bar. He brushed away cobwebs of dream from his mind, clearing his thoughts of the haunting images. He flopped back onto the floor, shutting his eyes, trying to calm his frayed nerves. He gulped in air, his pulse racing. He opened his eyes again and breathed out. H began to rest, reality sinking in. The sun streamed through the dirty windows and he squinted in the bright light. _Holy shit. It was just a dream...it was just a dream. _He grabbed his bag and hurriedly packed his things. He grabbed several beers from the stock and shoved them into his pack, along with the unfinished bottle of scotch, three fourths of a bottle of gin, and half a bottle of tequila. With his crossbow in front of him, he made is way out the door and down the street towards his bike. He wanted to be back, and he wanted to be there now.


End file.
